The Netherlands is the powerhouse in Group F, but Japan will have the Dutch on upset watch. Tunisia and Sweden are likely to vie for third.
The Post previews Group F at the World Cup:
Teams listed in predicted order of finish.
Japan
Odds to win the group: +250
What you need to know: Having lost heartbreakers in the Round of 16 at consecutive World Cups, the Samurai Blue have developed a reputation for giant-killing, with wins over Germany, Spain and Colombia in those two tournaments. Winning a knockout game is the next step for Hajime Moriyasu’s side as he leads Japan in a third straight World Cup. He’ll bring a deep side with quality throughout: Takefusa Kubo, Ao Tanaka, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Wataru Endo and goalkeeper Zion Suzuki are among the players who make up Japan’s core group.
How they play: Fun, fast, effective. Though Japan can switch to a low block when needed, it prefers a high press and fast ball movement. Japan transitions quickly and can counterattack lethally against more talented teams but has plenty of technical ability — especially on the wings in Moriyasu’s 3-4-2-1 base. The Samurai Blue are vulnerable against physical teams that can beat them in the air.
Star player: Kubo, a 24-year-old winger who plays for Real Sociedad at the club level, has some breakout potential at this World Cup. He’s an excellent passer, a creative dribbler, and Japan will depend on him to break through the inevitable deadlocks that come in a World Cup.
World Cup history: Before 1998, Japan had never played in a World Cup. Since then, they’ve been quadrennial fixtures at the competition and rarely an easy out. Japan has evolved past the phase where making it out of the group can be considered a success, though. They’ll need to win a knockout game — and preferably two, given the expanded field this year — to hit that bar.
Netherlands
Odds: -125
What you need to know: After a disappointing run through the 2010s, the nadir of which came in failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, Oranje come into this summer looking more a customary powerhouse. On defense, captain Virgil van Dijk and Nathan Aké play key roles for their sides in the English Premier League. So too do Cody Gakpo, Ryan Gravenberch and Tijjani Reijnders in midfield, a group that also includes superstar Frenkie de Jong and Denzel Dumfries, though an injury to Xavi Simons is a large blow. The question is how far the Dutch can get with Memphis Depay at striker given the lack of strong options behind him.
How they play: It’s not quite the traditional Dutch Total Football that doubles as an art form, but manager Ronald Koeman’s side is more adventurous than the Netherlands was for much of the past decade. Oranje are heavily reliant on their wingers for offense, and often look out of ideas when that route isn’t working.
Star player: You could flip a coin to decide between van Dijk and de Jong. At age 34, van Dijk is still one of the world’s most sound defenders for Liverpool, imperious and commanding. De Jong, who dealt with a hamstring issue in March before easing his way back into Barcelona’s lineup, can carry the ball with ease and break through an opposing press.
World Cup history: Always the bridesmaids. Three-time finalists, last in 2010, the Netherlands is the most successful team never to win the competition. Their 1974 squad, led by Johan Cruyff, is one of the most influential in the history of the sport, playing a style that came to define the country’s soccer culture, and still does today.
Tunisia
Odds: -12/1
What you need to know: Sami Trabelsi managed Tunisia through a terrific qualifying campaign, as the Eagles of Carthage didn’t concede a single goal through eight games, but he was fired after a disappointing Round of 16 defeat to Mali at the Africa Cup of Nations in January. Sabri Lamouchi is in the hot seat now, and has the task of navigating Tunisia out of a group in which it is an underdog.
How they play: Defense, defense and more defense. Tunisia is organized and disciplined, keeping eight consecutive clean sheets in qualifying while being content to sit on a one-goal lead. Though players such as midfielder Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane, forward Youssef Msakni and midfielder Hannibal Mejbri can create offensively, Tunisia has a large task on its hands in scoring enough goals to survive.
Star player: Defensive midfielder Ellyes Skhiri, who plays for Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany, anchors the side. The 31-year-old is a strong passer and stout defender who can dictate the game’s tempo from a deep-lying position, but don’t expect him to do any scoring.
World Cup history: Tunisia became the first African or Arab side to win a game at the World Cup when it defeated Mexico in 1978. That represents the pinnacle of their achievement through six appearances at the tournament. Tunisia have never advanced from the group stage, though it came within a hair of doing so four years ago.
Sweden
Odds: +450
What you need to know: Even without star midfielder Dejan Kulusevski, left off the squad due to injury, this is as talented a group as Sweden has had in years. Viktor Gyökeres and Alexander Isak lead the line for a team that should, in theory, be strong in attack, with Anthony Elanga, Lucas Bergvall and Benjamin Nygren behind them. Sweden had a rocky qualifying, making UEFA’s playoffs only because it won its Nations League group in 2024. In its actual qualification group, Sweden finished at the bottom, taking just two points from six winless games before beating Ukraine and Poland in the playoffs to secure qualification.
How they play: Graham Potter, the former Chelsea and Brighton manager hired last October, hasn’t quite impressed his style on the group. Generally, Potter’s teams like to play an attacking style and hold the ball, but that’s been tough to execute for a group that struggles to transition the ball forward. As much talent as there is in attack, Tre Kronor’s defense comes with question marks.
Star player: Gyökeres, after a title-winning debut season with Arsenal in the Premier League, looks like Sweden’s best player. A 6-foot-1 finisher who can get his head on the ball and play physically, Gyökeres can anchor the attack for Sweden. One question for Potter: how to get both Gyökeres and Isak to work on the pitch together.
World Cup history: Highlighted by an appearance in the final on home soil in 1958, Sweden has a strong pedigree at the competition. Tre Kronor have twice finished in third, most recently in 1994 in the U.S., though they failed to qualify for three of the past four competitions. A quarterfinal appearance in 2018 is Sweden’s best result in recent memory.
Group F World Cup schedule
Netherlands vs. Japan, Sun., June 14, 4 p.m., Dallas
Sweden vs. Tunisia, Sun., June 14, 10 p.m., Monterrey
Netherlands vs. Sweden, Sat, June 20, 1 p.m., Houston
Tunisia vs. Japan, Sat, June 20, midnight, Monterrey
Tunisia vs. Netherlands, Thurs., June 25, 7 p.m., Kansas City
Japan vs. Sweden, Thurs., June 25, 7 p.m., Dallas